driggs



L. L. DRIGGS. COMBINATION PERCUSSION AND TIME FUSE. APPLlcATloN man mm2, 1911.

A, M @y Patented July 29, 1919.

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COMBINATION PERCUSSION AND'TIME FUSE.

APPLlcATlou FILED MN. 2. 1911.

1,3 1 1 ,792. Patented July 29, 1919.

A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' through the bore of thegun.

LOUIS L. DRIGG-S, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

'COMBINATION PERCUSSION AND TIME' FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

yApplication. filed January 2, 1917. Serial N o. 140,183.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS L. DRIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Percussion and Time Fuses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

My invention relates to improvements in fuses for shells, and consists in providing an improved combination percussionV and time fuse, especially adapted for use Ywith projectiles which are intended to be fired from long ranges, such for instances as howitzer shells or the like.

The invention is especially adapted for use with shells containing high explosives, such as picric acid or trinitrotoluol.

. Such shells are usually provided with rather thin but strong walls containing a charge of high explosive. In order to detonate the charge something more powerful than the regular percussion fuse is necessary. Consequently the fuse is provided with a larger ignition charge, which is connected to one or more tubes containing gun cotton or trinitrotoluol, or other suitable explosive. In this tube or tubes are the explosives, which are first detonated, and causing the detonation of the high explosive charge.

My invention is especially intended to provide an absolutely safe combination time and percussion fuse, which cannot be prema.- turely exploded as from accidentally dropping the shell, or rough or careless handling thereof, and at the same time I provide an arrangement by which the locking means for normally holding the plunger in the safety position are held out of engagement with said plunger after the shell has acquired sulicient' rotary velocity, such forinstance as that imparted to it in passing My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which theA same parts are indicated by the same reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the fuse complete; y i

F102 2 shows a section through the axis of the fuse and part of one of the adjacent tubes for containing the ignition charge, partsY of the shell being shown in dotted lines, and parts of the fusebeing shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the spring clip'for holding the plunger in place ;l

Fig. 4 shows the automatic catch for holding the spring clip locked outfof engagement with the plunger after the shell has acquired the rotary velocity due to being fired from the gun; y Fig. 5 is a front -view lofthe plunger; vand Fig. 6 is a section through-the plunger along the Vline 6-6of Fig. 5.

A represents the fuse stock having the chambered portion 1 screwed into the gun inthe usualfway. `Mounted in the forward portion of the chamber-of ythe fuse Lstock is the primer block 2, chambered, at its forward portion, as at 3 tohold the charge 4 of quick burning powder, the rear end of which chamber is closed by the thin disk 5, of paraflined paper, or other suitablematerial, which diskV masks Vthe perforations 6 and 7 in the primer block. 8 ,represents the primer of the usual or any preferred construction. l,

In rear of the primer block 2 the fuse stock -isprovided with the cylindrical chamber 9, in which the body portion 10 ofthe plunger slides freely and longitudinally through va short distance. The plunger carries the firing point 11, and is provided with the rearwardly extending lstem 12, flanged as at 13. The opposite sidesof the plunger are provided with parallel grooves 14, adapted to receive the resilient arms of the spring clip, as will be hereinafter described, and the plunger is also provided with passages 15, extending outward at either side of the firing point 1l, and opening interiorly into the axial bore-lthrough the stem of the plunger; thus forming a Y- shaped channel forV the passage'V through the plunger of the ignition charge from the primer 2 and the chamber 3. K

The plunger is normally held in the safety position by the spring clip shown'fin Fig. 3, which comprises the central portionl? connected to the primer block 2, and provided with lan opening 18 for thefpassage therethrough of the firing point'll. Connected to thisv central portion arepthe resilient arms 19, each terminating ina weight 20, inthe form of a se ment of ajcylinder, as shown most clearly 1n Fig. 3. These weights.. may

Patentea'Jl-uy 29, 1919.

be integral with, or attached to the resilient arms 19, and normally grip the stein of the plunger holding it against forward movement. vVhen the shell is spun up, as in passing through the boreV of the; gun, these weights are thrown outward and, pressing back the resilient catches 21 on ther'ing 22, lock the spring clip-in the distended position, leaving the plunger free to flyfforward when the' flight ofthe shell is suddenly arrested, as by striking the ground, the target, or any othersolid object.

This airrangei'nent vprovides a perfectlyV e "era'bly chambered in its forward portien andzpiovided in the rear with a head 24, perforated as 'at y25V to permit ythe passage of the liame from the igniter rearward. Thisfopening may also be closed' by a small disk26,let into a'grojove 27. Y e H e This plug 23 is provided `with socket's28 so it may be conveniently" screwed in place by means of a Spanner. In rear of the screw plug 231 provide a `closed tube 30, screwed v at its forward end into theshell as ati '31.

Tliis ltube contains; an auxiliary' priming charge not shownwhieh is ignited by the primer or by the time 'train f The fuse stockr "reject forwardbeyond the nose of' the shell, having, a Acylii'idjric'al stem 40, on which the time train rings B and B are mounted, and fis screw threaded ai; al' toengage the cap C. The., forward endV of the fusestock is provided with a cylindrical chamber 42iiito which projects the block 43,y carrying the'prime'r for ignitir'ig the time train; into this-block the plunger 474, is screwed, and this plunger is locked to the primer block Vby means ofthe The 'forward end of', the

alunfer is shouldered as atl tol enOfaGe. a a a: z2

corresponding shoulder on the cap C, and is thus held against outward movement, while it isI normally held Vaga-inst inward movement by the split ring 17; i 5 Y The cap. C and the plunger 44 are perforated to, admtj the safety lock 48, which consists of i a bar. projectin'gfthrough 'the plunger `and locking the-.sameftothe cap C. This Asafety lock prevents the accidental igiiitiiigl of the primingltrajn,should the shell Abe. dropped,A or should itY be handled roughly.

Projecting into the chamber Ll2 is the anvil 4,9 having the firing point 50 adapted to engage the primer when the plunger all iies backward after 'the gun has been fired.

train 56 is connected by the passage 57 to the powder iii the passage 58, which is closed by the plug 59. v

The flange of the fuse stock is milled on its "forward edge as atv 60 to engage the felt diskl in rear of the paper ring 62, which closesl the'powder train 56. In a similar way the front face ofthe ring B is milled as at Glto engage the vfelt pad 64, which bears against the paper ring G5'. By having a felt pad .in rear of each of the rings a tight joint is" secured without having the engaging surface of metal against metal, which mighttendto prematurely explode the time train; and moreover, the felt acts vas a heat insulator to prevent the transmission of sufficient'` heat' to the rear which might cause the fuse to operate prematurely.

In .order that the powder may burn uniformly, in the powder train, I provide passages 66 to permit the escape fof the gas from the burning powder, which passages areV screened by the annular shoulder 67 on the'cap C. This vcap C is held against turning on the fuse 4stock by means lof the set screw 68; 4. V

The operation of the'device is as follows:y

Just .before loading the projectile in thc gun.l Vremove the safety lock 48.

When the gun is fired, the plunger hllet will be forced backward duevto its own inertia, distending the split ring 47, and causing the `forward primer to strike the point 50'. This will cause thev charge in the'forward primer to blow through the passage 51, blowing outthe disk 52, and igniting the pellets 53,: andthe time 'trainlih The time train will vbe set at the desired timein the usual way. I have shown the ring B as graduated to, 3l vseconds but any suitable timeA train may be used with the fuse, as desired.

After the time at which the train is set has expired, the powder in the passage 58 will be ignited, which will ignite the powder charge l: in the main primer, and the iiame will blow to Jthe rear through the plunger 10 igniti'ng the priming charge in the tube 30,

and. exploding. ther shell.- r

The foregoing explains the actionof the fuse; as a timefuse; `the fuse willfalso act as a Vpercussion fuse as follows:

As the projectile leaves the gun, `it will Yring B tothe powder train 5G. The powder l be spun up by the rifling, which will cause the weights 20 to fiy out, due to centrifugal force, and this will press back the spring catches 2l, allowing the weights to pass. After passing beyond the catches 21, they will spring up and engage in the inner surface of the weights 20, and will hold the same in a distended position so that as the rotary motion of the shell is diminished, as would occur when fired at long ranges, the weighted arms will still be held distended and the rim 13 of the plunger can freely pass forward between said weights. Thus when the shell is suddenly arrested, as when striking the target or earth, this plunger 10 will fly forward igniting the primer 8, and exploding the shell asalready described in connection with the time train arrangement.

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the herein described fuse, and inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts which might be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination with a fuse stock, of a primer and an igniting charge carried in said fuse stock, a plunger mounted in said fuse stock and adapted to explode said primer, the said plunger Ibeing provided with a passage therethrough for the flame from the primer, a spring clip having weighted resilient arms normally locking said plunger in the safety position but thrown out of engagement therewith when the shell is spun` up, automatic means for locking said spring clip in the disengaged position after it has been acted upon by centrifugal force` comprising inclined spring catches adapted to be pressed backward by said weighted arms as they are thrown outward by centrifugal force but to lock said arms against returning inward when said centrifugal force decreases, due to the slowing down of the rotary motion of the projectile, and a time powder train mounted on the forward end of said fuse stock and connected to said igniting charge, substantially Vas described.

2. The combination'with a fuse stock, of a primer and an igniting charge carried in said fuse stock, a plunger mounted in said fuse stock and adapted to explode said primer, the said plunger being pro-vided with a passage therethrough for the flame from the primer', a'spring clip having weighted resilient arms normally locking said plunger in the safety position but thrown out of engagement therewith when the shell is spun up, automatic means for locking said spring clip in the disengaged position after it has been acted upon by centrifugal force, comprising a ring provided with inclined spring catches projecting forwardly and at an angle y and adapted to be pressed backward by said weighted arms as they are thrown outward by centrifugal force but to lock said arms against returning inward when said centrifugal force decreases, due to the slowing down of the rotary motion of the projectile, and a time powder train mounted on the forward end of said fuse stock and connected to said igniting charge, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a fuse stock, of a primer carried in said fuse stock, a chamber located in front of said primer and containing powder adapted to be ignited by said primer, a plunger adapted to explode said primer, the said plunger being provided with a body portion, a iiring point, and a stem, with a channel through said body portion and stem for the passage rearward therethrough of the flame from said primer and powder chamber, the said passage through the plunger carrying the flame to the rearward into the shell, a spring clip having.

weighted resilient arms normally locking said plunger in the safety position but thrown out of engagement therewith when the shell is spun up, automatic means for locking sai-d spring clip in the disengaged position after it has been acted upon by centrifugal force, comprising inclined spring catches adapted to be pressed backward by said weighted arms as they are thrown outward by centrifugal force but to lock said arms against returning inward when said centrifugal force decreases, due to the slowing down of the rotary motion of the project-ile, and a time powder train mounted on the forward end of said fuse stock and connected to said igniting charge, substantially as described. v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LOUIS L. DRIGGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

